"Protecting people and property" in the valley south of Fóia, in Monchique, is the current priority for men who are fighting the fire which since yesterday afternoon has been plowing in the Serra de Monchique, in an area of forest and eucalyptus.
Second revealed to Sul Informação Commander Richard Marques of the District Relief Operations Center of Faro, the fire was still active, at the beginning of today's afternoon, Sunday, and the resources on the ground are concentrating close to the inhabited areas, to avoid greater harm.
According to the CDOS, the eight aerial means (4 light, 2 medium and 2 heavy) and the six track machines that are supporting the 363 men and 120 vehicles on the ground are playing a preponderant role in the firefighting. In many areas, access to land resources is difficult or even impossible, so it is only through the air or the opening of paths that it is possible to get there.
«The fire remains with an active front, evolving to the south. It is in the south of Fóia that the situation is more complicated, in the northern area it is almost consolidated. The fire is now in a valley where there is a lot of scattered housing, so our priority has been the protection of people and their property», revealed Richard Marques.
This allowed that, almost 24 hours after the start of this fire, there is no need to complain about any human victims or substantial property damage. But the adopted strategy “also forces the dispersion of means, which do not allow to concentrate all the forces in the combat in front of fire”.
On the ground, there are firefighters from all the corporations in the Algarve and «reinforcement groups from Beja, Évora and Lisbon» have already been dispatched. "We've also already had the reinforcement of three army platoons," added the CDOS spokesperson. Faro.
With the dawn of day, which allowed the air resources to return to operation, the firefighters were able to give a more effective response. During the night, the weather was adverse, as there were «temperatures above 30 degrees, very low relative humidity, close to 15%, and the wind picked up». Early in the morning, also the terrestrial means were strengthened.
Richard Marques also asked the population to avoid going to the area where the fire is raging. Anyone who wants to help and contribute water or other goods to the firefighters on the ground, "should go to the civil protection services", namely those in Portimão, Monchique and Silves, which are involved in the operation. Also in the field are resources from the GNR, the Portuguese Red Cross and Afolcelca (Soporcel).
However, the presumed responsible for the fire has already been detained by the GNR.
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